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Walmart has previously come under fire for its treatment of employees, and coronavirus has intensified the debate. As Walmart stores stay open during the pandemic to provide essential services, many store employees have spoken out about how the situation is being handles–and how little they are being protected.
According to New York Magazine, Walmart has stayed silent on the spread of Covid-19 among their employees: "Walmart has not released a formal count of associates who have become ill or died from COVID-19."
"But a tracker created by UFR has documented 805 self-reported positive cases of COVID-19 among Walmart’s 1.5 million strong U.S. workforce to date, and the organization says that 22 workers have died," the article continued.
Many are pointing to Walmart's failure to adequately protect and take care of their employees during this pandemic as the reason behind these numbers.
NY Mag explains, "In a new UFR/Majority Action survey of members, only 9 percent said they could consistently maintain social-distancing in stores, even after Walmart began restricting the number of customers allowed in a store at a time."
Despite the social distancing recommendations and markers, there is still crowding in Walmart stores.
Additionally, the company does not r Additionally, "[UFR members] believe the company could require customers to wear masks, and make protective gear more readily available to workers."
They are also pointing to the holes Walmart's new emergency paid-leave policy that only applies if workers have tested positive for the virus. "If they need time off to take care of a sick relative, or if they are worried about their own health, they can stay home, but they won’t get paid," the article explains.
